(3 Minutes Read)
The World Bank has approved a USD 208 million grant for Zambia, as the southern African country reels under severe drought. The sum was granted to help the African nation address the social and economic impact of drought. Southern Africa has been hit by severe drought, partly due to the El Nino climate phenomenon.
Zambia’s Finance Ministry announced that the grant was meant to help Lusaka effectively respond to the impact of the drought. It would allow the government to provide more affected people with direct cash transfers, as well as roughly doubling the amount given per household per month, from the equivalent of around USD 8.30 to USD 16.60.
The project development objective is to protect poor and vulnerable households’ consumption in response to shocks in Zambia. The grant is specifically expected to support over 1.6 million households across the 84 drought-impacted districts with cash assistance over 12 months, Ngaruko said. Of this number, some 900,000 are already current beneficiary households.
Southern Africa is experiencing its worst drought in years. It is partially impacted by the El Nino climate phenomenon characterized by warmer sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near the equator with disruptive effects on global weather patterns. The higher average temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions are also contributing to the drought.
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https://trendsnafrica.com/zambia-goes-for-additional-spending-to-address-severe-drought/
https://trendsnafrica.com/zambia-drought-threatens-hunger-for-millions/
The drought hit food production and the livelihoods of millions of people, prompting Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe to all declare a state of disaster. The United Nations has called Zambia’s agricultural season the “driest” in over 40 years, with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs saying over nine million people in 84 out of the country’s 117 districts are affected.
